On September 20th, with the assistance of Puppet Takahashi, all members of the R nation's branch of the Holy Light organization were apprehended.
Those who aided them also faced punishment, all sent to the construction sites of the underground city.
However, at this time, Jiangcheng officials were still unaware of the R nation's submersion.
Ordinary R nation immigrants, as well as diplomatic personnel in the R nation's consulate who had no ties to the Holy Light organization, were not subjected to any measures.
But Nation Z had historically never accepted refugees.
The reason they had accepted these R nation immigrants before was due to the Holy Light organization's elixir offensive and the technology they possessed.
Now, they no longer had the elixir, and the technology they held was mastered by Tang Li through the researchers who had installed brain-computer interfaces.
It was simply untenable to continue supporting these R nation people with Nation Z's reserves.
The Nation Z government had already begun contacting the R nation's homeland, hoping to have them take their people back.
Unfortunately, they had not yet made contact.
Regardless, these R nation immigrants had become like a burden, not worth mentioning.
On September 27th, the new Governor of Jiangcheng assumed office.
Upon taking office, he established the new Jiangcheng Governor's Mansion, using administrative personnel transferred from Dragon City as the core, and promoting capable individuals from within Jiangcheng.
Commander Yao also ended the military control of Jiangcheng, smoothly handing it over to the new Governor Wei.
On September 28th, the Jiangcheng Governor's Mansion released the full account of the "9.18 Bombing Incident," exposing the Holy Light organization and denying the existence of the Dragon God Cult.
By this time, ten days had passed since the bombing, and nine days since the rumors began.
During these nine days, even though those who initially spread the rumors had been arrested, the rumors they created spread ever wider.
Because the Jiangcheng Governor's Mansion was paralyzed, and the military was focused on earthquake relief, they lacked the sufficient energy and personnel to counter these rumors, causing them to become increasingly outlandish.
Eventually, a version emerged claiming that the catastrophe was caused by the "Dragon God Cult."
It was said that as long as the "Dragon God Cult" was eliminated, the catastrophe would end, and people could return to their lives before the disaster.
Returning to life before the catastrophe was likely the dream of all humanity in the disaster era.
Even though the authorities stated that the "Dragon God Cult" was a fabrication by the Holy Light organization to frame others, most people did not believe it.
They preferred to believe that the "Dragon God Cult" was real, and that eliminating it would end the catastrophe.
The extreme heat season, hot weather.
Severe drought, extreme water scarcity.
Coupled with the occasional earthquakes.
Now, the nuclear power plants had completely ceased operation, and the authorities could only rely on remaining solar panels for energy supply.
At the same time, the authorities had to organize personnel to build earthquake-resistant structures.
The underground city would not be completed before the extreme cold season.
Even if completed, it would only be phase one, unable to accommodate all the inhabitants of the Jiangcheng shelter, let alone all the people in the eastern region.
Therefore, sufficient insulating and cold-resistant buildings were necessary to ensure people could survive the extreme cold season.
In such circumstances, it was impossible for everyone to live in comfortable conditions.
The authorities could only do their best to provide supplies, preventing starvation, dehydration, and heatstroke, allowing more people to survive.
They could not, however, attend to people's state of mind.
Under such harsh conditions, people's moods were already agitated.
Furthermore, the rumors of the "Dragon God Cult," along with the constant deaths from high temperatures, earthquakes, and drought, caused people to become more fearful.
And fear, like a plague, is contagious.
Due to agitation and fear, many people descended into madness.
Previously, strict military control had suppressed this madness.
If anyone acted out of line, the on-duty martial law personnel could shoot them on the spot.
However, it was only suppression, not elimination.
After the lifting of military control, this madness was unleashed like a volcanic eruption.
On September 29th, a large number of mad people arrived at the original Jiangcheng Shelter No. 6, surrounding the settlement of the Military Research Institute.
Due to the protection of the military, they were unable to breach the settlement.
However, they surrounded it completely, shouting frantically, demanding that the military hand over Song Pinxuan and expose the "Dragon God Cult" behind him.
Even as people collapsed in the scorching sun, they did not give up.
They merely attributed the deaths of these people to Song Pinxuan and the "Dragon God Cult" behind him, becoming even more frenzied.